Saturday 27 October 2012

Rum Hazelnut Brownies



This evening, we are going to a meeting of the local home brew fraternity. Please don’t ask – only know that as far as I am aware, no one in attendance sports a beard.

My activities with alcohol largely consist of either drinking it or adding to it – sloe gin, blackcurrant vodka, that sort of thing – but the Husband has had some success in the homebrew department, with cider and beer, and it appears that he is not alone. This is the first of these events that we have gone to, and the general idea is to bring along some of your finest brew and everyone will have a try.

 After a brief discussion on the school run with the hostess, I have decided that my own contribution to proceedings will be some brownie. I wasn’t sure what would be a good match to beer, but when I googled ‘cake to eat with beer’, the results mostly steered me in the chocolate direction. There was also a carrot cake idea, but I couldn’t be bothered with all the grating today, and really, brownie is very easy.

In view of the occasion, I thought I ought to contribute something with at least a whiff of alcohol about it, so rather than automatically reaching for my tried and tested Nigella favourite (the one in Domestic Goddess) I decided to see what Dan Lepard had to offer in ‘Short and Sweet’. Some interesting suggestions, and these adult treats are inspired by his Bourbon Pecan Brownies.

Rum Hazelnut Brownies 




200g dark chocolate, 125g unsalted butter, 2 eggs, 100g soft brown sugar, 100g caster sugar, 75ml white rum (I used Havana Club), 2 tsp vanilla extract, 175g plain flour, 1tbsp cocoa, 130g hazelnuts, roughly chopped.

Line a 20x20cm square tine with foil and pre-heat the oven to 190C/170fan/375 F

Check out the cake testing hole...
Melt the butter and chocolate together, and leave to cool slightly. Sift together the flour and cocoa, then beat together the eggs and sugar till light and creamy. Beat the chocolate and butter into the egg/sugar mixture, followed by the rum and vanilla extract and finally, the flour/cocoa, then stir in the nuts, scrape it all into the prepared tin and bake for 25mins/until a skewer/toothpick (or whatever your cake testing implement of choice s) comes out barely clean. Leave to cool then cut into squares. I got 16.

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. awsome indeed - they are very good. Possibly the nicest I've made.

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  2. Fab, rum and chocolate is a match made in heaven. Love that you've used dark and white.. I would be more than happy to hang out with a bunch of home brewers - I would like a beard or two in attendance though!

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    1. It was a great evening, actually. Some particularly good raspberry beer in attendance :-)

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  3. Oh these sound delicious, I am definitely going to have a try making them. Jealous of the raspberry beer, I love fruit beer.

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    1. I haven't been a fan of bitter beer, but I was really impressed last night - and the raspberry beer was lovely.

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  4. They look great - I don't make brownies nearly often enough.

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    1. I go through phases - I do love them with nuts in though, and the kids aren't allowed to take anything with nuts in to school, so I tend to steer clear during term time, otherwise I'd just eat it all.

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  5. rum hazelnut brownies? There's not a word to dislike there!

    Yum!

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    Replies
    1. Indeed no! They are delicious. Well. They were.

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  6. The brownies look fabulous - gorgeous photo! I'm sure they all disappeared pretty quickly, washed down with a fine raspberry ale! What other brews did you get to try? Sounds like a fun night :)

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    1. Some St Peter's Golden Ale and a Pilsner although i do't remember what exactly. We took some cider (although I was wise enough to steer clear, having previously experienced it in the safety of our own home!) and a brew the Husband is particularlly pleased with - a really really cheap kit from Vilkinsons which he treated really well and it turned out pretty drinkable. I haven't drunk beer for a long time, but I might be about to have a renaissance!

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  7. Well I go to cake club, so don't see why there shouldn't be a brewing club. Your brownies look wonderful with those great chunks of hazelnut in them. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's got to be done. Did they go down well with the brewing fraternity?

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